NI kicks out Dawson and grows direct

Thousands of newsagents will find themselves paying for deliveries from more than one newspaper wholesaler from this week as News International (NI) begins its direct to retailer delivery service in areas formerly served by Dawson News.

NI's unexpected decision to deliver direct to some 2,800 retailers in 13 regions follows its announcement earlier this year that it would take over delivery of its titles in London and Birmingham.

NI said it had terminated its contracts with Dawson due to uncertainty about the future of the business. It said: "NI will ensure continued distribution of its newspapers to those areas covered by Dawson News through a combination of its own direct-to-retail service and the acceleration of new contracts with Smiths, Dash and Weller."

As C-Store went to press, NI had not confirmed carriage charges for the new regions. It announced last month that London and Birmingham retailers would pay £1.75 a day, or £12.25 a week, on top of other wholesalers' charges.

Earlier this month Trinity Mirror became the latest supplier to announce the end of its relationship with Dawson News.